“That’ll happen tomorrow,” he said, and I heard the smile in his voice. “Today I just sent some encouraging e-mails to my best store managers.”
Which might partly explain why the HotPets chain was so successful. It definitely had one hot, kind, and astute dude at the reins.
Soon I was outside the condo complex. I saw Dante’s car parked on the street, and he came over and got into the Escape’s passenger side. I called Wanda, and she performed her buzzer magic to open the outside gate and let us in.
A janitorial truck rolled in behind us. What a surprise. I felt sure it had originated in Burbank’s city center.
I parked near Wanda’s building, quietly approached the truck, and confirmed that these were the cops.
Wanda buzzed us all into the building, cops included. Since they were invited by a resident, they might not require a warrant for the condo, although that might not be true for individual units.
Dante and I headed to Wanda’s apartment, where she waited at the door. I wasn’t exactly sure where the cops went, but they’d told me to record my meeting with a high-tech gizmo that they handed me. Best I could tell, it was a radio of sorts so the cops would be able to eavesdrop. Maybe it even contained a teensy camera. I wore a jacket with a breast pocket, and the part hanging out resembled a pen flashlight.
My petite friend Wanda didn’t look particularly perky these days, but she’d spiced up her appearance with a bright orange gauzy top.
I peered around her into her unit. “Darryl’s not here?”
She shook her head. “Still at Doggy Indulgence. I’m not sure what’s going on, but he said he had a late meeting today with one of his employees—that nasty little Kiki, I think.”
Interesting. Maybe two issues would come to a head tonight—assuming that my assumptions about who killed Margaret were now correct, and I got the kind of reaction I anticipated from my main suspects.
“So, are we ready?” I asked Dante and Wanda.
We were, and my gang headed to the unit near Margaret’s where Ruth and Teddy Bertinetti lived.
Yes, they had rushed to the top of my suspect list, even though I didn’t know their motive. Of course I could be misinterpreting what I thought had become a big clue.
I’d find out soon.
We walked along the zigzag hall, at one point passing the Gustins’ unit. “Seen Lady Cuddles lately?” I asked Wanda.
“Only professionally. I visited the Gustins to talk about plans for their next trip, probably in a month or so. That cute little kitty came over and made a fuss over me, like I was family.”
“Were the Gustins okay with that, or did they get jealous?”
“They seemed relieved, since it sounds like both Trudy and Jamiel have extensive stays planned in other towns on film shoots.”
“Good deal. We’ll have to give Lady Cuddles some extra catnip if it turns out this ploy solves Margaret’s murder.” I glanced at Dante, and he grinned.
“Yes, HotPets has a good supply of cat toys containing catnip,” he said.
We were soon at the Bertinettis’ door. The decorative wreath I’d seen before was gone—a stark omen of what we’d find inside?
Teddy greeted us none too enthusiastically. “Come in.” He stepped aside so we could obey. The entry looked like most others in the condos that I had visited—wooden floor, and an open doorway into the living room on one side.
Ruth was already there, sitting on a sofa with black upholstery that matched a couple of chairs facing it. None looked especially comfortable, but that seemed appropriate for the choices made by these two. The room also contained some large potted plants, shelves built into the wall containing a huge HDTV, and a small upright piano. I wondered which one played the piano. Maybe they both did.
I also wondered whether the community association had any rules about when they could play it—and whether the Bertinettis, who were such sticklers for pet rules, obeyed those regarding music.
Once more I was struck by how much these two appeared to be in sync with one another. Teddy wore a casual blue striped shirt tucked into jeans. Ruth’s outfit was quite similar, although her shirt had a few more buttons open, revealing a diamond pendant. “Nice shelves,” I said to start the conversation. “Did that contractor Rutley Harris build them for you recently?”
“Yes,” Ruth replied, “But what’s this all about? I gather you want to discuss the shameful pet situation around here, but I’m not on the board … yet. I have no control over it at the moment. Although I’m definitely running for the vacant seat.”
“Wanda was just hoping that if we talked about it, we could change your mind. Have you met Dante?” I introduced him, stressing his significance in the pet community, including HotPets.
“You know, Ruth and Teddy, that there are all kinds of pets,” he said smoothly. “Not everybody has to love them, of course, but those who do, really consider their pets part of the family. Would you want to deprive the people who live here of their kids?”
“Pets are just animals,” Ruth spat, making me strongly consider standing and smacking the nasty woman. But of course I didn’t. As a lawyer, I knew better than to engage in assault and battery.
Even so …
“The thing is”—I gestured a warning to Wanda, who also looked as if she considered committing mayhem—“since the biggest advocate of changing the rules concerning pets isn’t around any longer, we were hoping to lobby some of her supporters and get you to change your minds.” I took a seat on one of the chairs, as if I’d been invited to, and Dante and Wanda did likewise.
“Forget it,” Teddy said staunchly, standing beside his wife with his arms crossed.
“You’re certainly entitled to your opinion,” I said in a tone I intended to sound charming. “And I have to admit that there have been some animals around here who’ve been permitted to break the rules.”
“Like the cat I heard about,” Dante tossed in, as if he’d been coached. Which he had been. “That little kitten who seems to always be running around, instead of being confined in her unit. What’s her name?” He looked at Wanda.
“Lady Cuddles,” she responded.
“Right,” I agreed, before the Bertinettis could interrupt. “Did you know that Wanda found Lady Cuddles right there with poor Margaret, the night she was murdered?”
“We heard.” Ruth’s generally pinched expression grew even uglier, as if she were disgusted.
“Did you also know that Lady Cuddles lost her collar with her name tag that night?” Wanda asked. “I happened to notice that it was gone. The police seem to think it could have been taken by the killer, perhaps because it had blood on it. Isn’t that awful?” She gave a sweet little shudder.
But my attention was focused more on the Bertinettis, who now were both on the couch. Ruth’s expression seemed to harden. Teddy’s usually squinty blue eyes widened as if he was trying to assume an expression of innocence.
So far, they were still my top suspects. Especially considering their response to one of my questions.
“Anyway, since you were such good friends with Margaret, maybe you could ask some of your other friends at Brigadoon if they happened to have seen the missing collar,” I said. “Although I assume most of your friends took Margaret’s side on the anti-pet issue, so they wouldn’t have much reason to kill her.”
So, I thought, why did you? Not that they’d officially admitted it—yet. I hoped they would when they found the collar they’d most likely thought they tossed away.
Time to set that up.
I glanced at Dante, who gave a conspiratorial little nod. He was set up to be our gardener this time—to plant our little item of evidence.
“Would you two mind if I got myself a glass of water?” he asked. “My throat’s really dry.” He stood to head for the kitchen. When Ruth started to stand, he said, “No, I didn’t mean to interrupt the conversation. I can get it myself, really.”
But of course she went with him. We’d sort of assumed s
he would accompany him—or at least one of the Bertinettis would.
“I guess this is a good time for me to leave,” Wanda said. “I’m sure you won’t want to hear this, Teddy, but I have a little more petsitting here at the condos to do tonight. I can see myself out.”
But Teddy went toward the front door with her.
Our plans for planting the collar actually had three possibilities, depending on which of us was left alone by the Bertinettis. Dante could have hidden one in the kitchen, or Wanda could have stuck one behind a door off the entry.
So my ordering multiple collars and tags had the clearest purpose yet.
But now it was left to me, and I’d already scoped out a suitable spot: inside the piano. I headed there, my hand in my pants pocket, and made sure no one was in the room when I lifted the lid and carefully placed the collar inside.
I was standing by the piano seat when everyone but Wanda returned to the room. “Is it okay if I play something?” I asked, and, not waiting for an answer, sat down and started playing a rousing version of “Chopsticks.”
Except that when I got to the part past the chorus, where the highest notes were played, they turned out sour. As if something restricted the piano strings.
“What’s the matter?” I asked innocently. “Isn’t your piano in tune?”
“Of course it is,” exploded Ruth. I had the impression that everything around her, like her dark, perfectly placed furniture, had to be flawless. She’d been standing near the doorway by Dante, who had a glass of water in his hands, and she now hurried over to where I was.
“I wonder, though … ,” I said thoughtfully, and lifted the lid hiding the piano’s innards. And gasped. “What’s that?” I asked as I peered in.
“What’s what?” demanded Teddy.
All four of us were suddenly staring in. Then I backed up for a moment to ensure that any photos or recordings being made by the gadget sticking out of my shirt pocket took in as much of this as possible.
“I’d better call the police,” I said sternly. “That looks like Lady Cuddles’s missing ID stuff.”
“How did it get in there, Teddy?” Ruth shrieked, suddenly becoming unhinged.. “Did you mess up with that, like everything else?”
“No, I—hell, that’s enough. I’m not saying another word. I think I’d better—”
I expected him to finish that statement with something like “call my lawyer.”
Instead, I turned and saw that Teddy Bertinetti was aiming a lethal-looking handgun toward all of us.
His hand was unsteady enough to keep it waving. And I suddenly became afraid it might go off whether Teddy intended it to or not.
Chapter Thirty-one
“OKAY,” I SAID loudly, practically aiming my boob, where the cops’ gadget was located, toward Teddy. “You’re pointing a gun at us. Is that a confession that you killed Margaret?”
“I was afraid you did, Teddy,” wailed Ruth, wringing her hands as she stood off to one side of the living room.
“What the hell are you doing, Ruth?” Teddy demanded, backing up enough so that every other human being in the room, including his wife, was within range of his weapon. That meant he had to sidestep the matching sofa and chairs. I kept half hoping he’d trip over something, but that could mean he’d fire the gun wildly and hit someone. I didn’t care a whole heck of a lot about Ruth, but I definitely didn’t want him to hurt Dante. Or me, for that matter.
“You know exactly what I’m doing,” Ruth said softly.
“Yeah, I do, you bitch.”
“What do you mean?” Ruth’s voice was now raised a humongous number of decibels. “You’re the one who had an affair with her.”
Ahhh. The motive was now making its presence known. But was it Ruth’s motive, or Teddy’s, or both? Either way, why murder someone over it? Damned if I knew.
Interesting, though, that the not-so-attractive dead lady had slept with both Rutley and Teddy.
“And you’re the one who killed her, because of that,” stormed Teddy. His gun hand was waving, which made me more than a little nervous.
Dante, too, apparently, since he gallantly stepped closer and shielded me with his big, beautiful masculine body.
Not that I allowed him to. I moved aside, which seemed to make Teddy’s gun hand shake even more, back and forth, between us. Dante shot a glower at me, and I attempted a brave but determined smile back.
“You’re so horrible!” screamed Ruth. “First you start an affair with that woman. When I caught you, you promised to back off. You said you’d just been doing it because you and she were so simpatico about that stupid no-pets-allowed position. But did you stop? No! I should have killed you instead of her.”
Okay, now that sounded pretty much like a confession to me. But Dante and I were still in a dangerous situation.
Where were the cops?
I decided to try to buy some time. “So, Ruth, why did you take Lady Cuddles’s collar off?”
She’d been staring with hatred toward the man she’d married and lived with in Brigadoon. The look she shot toward me then wasn’t exactly adoring. “I didn’t hate cats before—not like Teddy does. One scratched him when he was a little kid, and he’s loathed them ever since. I didn’t care too much, though I wouldn’t have minded having one before. But to try to keep our marriage together, I thought that if I got onto the condo association board with Margaret, I’d be able to help sway things the way Teddy wanted even more than she did. I planned to run for the next open seat. I started suspecting they had something going … and when I accused her, she laughed about it. Said that I hadn’t done a great job teaching my husband how to really please a woman. In fact, he was pretty rotten at it.”
“Hey!” Teddy roared, pointing the gun decidedly in his wife’s direction. “That’s a lie!”
“It’s what your mistress said, dear,” Ruth said sweetly. “I wanted to kick her teeth in then, but decided to wait and see. After all, if she taught you better, you might use some of your lessons the next time you touched me … if I ever let you.”
“You’ve always been a cold bitch!” Teddy shouted, but at least he didn’t shoot.
And Ruth didn’t shut up, still speaking to her husband. “Even after that, Margaret kept goading me about being an awful wife, in so many ways. And about how she was sure she could convince you to divorce me. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I went to her place that night ready to confront her one final time and insist that she back off. I found her in her kitchen, and did she act nervous? No! She started making fun of me … Even showed me the key to the Gustins’ condo that she used to let that cat out and make trouble in a way you approved of, like you approved of everything about her. She even encouraged that stupid cat to creep into all the buildings at Brigadoon when it was loose. That night, she had a nasty-looking barbecue spit in her sink, with one hell of a point on it. Guess she was planning a cookout, but I cooked her goose first.”
Lovely image, but I didn’t say a word. Listening worked a whole lot better. Apparently, Ruth hadn’t been happy holding everything inside, and now it was in everyone’s best interests to let her vent her hysteria as much as she wanted. As long as it was verbal and not physical, at least.
“So,” Ruth continued, “when what happened, happened, in Margaret’s apartment, that damned kitten was there and saw it all. I’d already wiped the spit clean, so it wouldn’t have had any fingerprints. But the cat had blood on her, and I picked her up to try to rinse it off her—and she clawed me. I bled, too, then, and I saw that some of the blood was on that white collar. I’d dropped her, and she’d nearly gotten away, but I figured I’d better take the collar off. She might wipe off the blood on her paws and fur as she ran around the condos, but the blood that was on that white thing might be partly mine. The thing is … Hell!”
Ruth ran across the room toward the piano, and Teddy looked even more unnerved, as if ready to shoot her.
“What’s wrong now?” Teddy bellowed.
&nbs
p; Ruth raised the lid of the piano again and looked in. “The blood was near the buckle on that collar, not in the center. I’ll bet …” She ran at Dante with her own claws outstretched. “I’ll bet this came from one of your stores, you damned interfering bastard. It isn’t the one I took off that kitten at all. I knew I did a good job getting rid of it.”
“In the complex’s garbage?” Dante inquired calmly, catching Ruth by her wrists and turning her so she’d be a shield if Teddy happened to shoot.
“Of course not. I put it in a plastic bag and took it to the Dumpster at a supermarket near here.”
Which meant it was unlikely to be found easily, if at all, depending on how often the Dumpster contents were hauled off, and where they were taken.
But there could be another clue that might be found more easily. “So, Ruth, did you steal the key to Margaret’s unit from Teddy, to get in there that night? One of those he’d sneaked away from the contractor Rutley Harris—at Margaret’s request, I assume?”
“That’s what happened to Margaret’s key?” Teddy squeaked.
“How did you know about that?” Ruth demanded at the same time.
It had been the clue that had made me assume one of the Bertinettis was guilty. A while back, I’d seen Teddy try to open the door to their unit with a key that he’d assumed would work, since it was the same kind used for all the condos. But it hadn’t worked, and he’d had to dig out another one. Rutley’s telling me about the keys that went missing had gotten my mind spinning around several possibilities.
“I assume, Teddy, that Margaret asked you to retrieve her key from Rutley Harris, after they started arguing and you began seeing her on the side. That way you could visit her at any time, right? And, while you were at it, you were to ‘borrow’ Rutley’s key to the Gustins’ unit—the one Margaret started using to let Lady Cuddles out now and then to bolster her point about pets being out of control around here.” No answer. I’d assumed that Rutley had received a copy of the Gustins’ key when he had updated their shelves and hardwood floor. “Ruth found out about Margaret’s key when she learned the two of you were seeing each other. Her turn to ‘borrow’ a key—yes? And, Ruth, I’ll bet you took the Gustins’ key that night but left Margaret’s in its place—after removing any fingerprints, probably—and that you’re now the one letting Lady Cuddles out and about to help make the anti-pet point.”
Feline Fatale Page 22